It can't be as bad as Budget...

I'm a current Budget Rent A Car employee, who is thinking about going for the mt program at Enterprise. All of these stories seem like a huge improvement from what I go through around here at Budget. And it's more money!

[Disgruntled ExERACer]

Oh you sooooo need to elaborate.....I would love to get another company's employee perspective.....PLEASE SHARE!!!

Wow, let's see where to begin? I've been in my position now for 3 years, and I'm still not making what I was originally told I was going to make at my interview. But of course, being young and naive, I never had anything in writing. I was told not to worry, they would give me a raise as soon as review time came around, and it would bump me back up to where I should be. Review time came and went, and I only recieved a 2% raise. I asked why, and they said that Cendant has taken over, and they said nobody can get anything higher than that. So now after 3 years, and 3 piddily 2% raises, I'm still not at what they said I would be making. The pay is embarassing. Yeah, we get to take a car home, and in all honesty, that's the only reason why I still put up with it, is because of the car. But enough is enough.

There is also absolutely NO room for advancement within the company. Now that Cendant owns us (the same company that owns Avis) whenever a position opens up, they fill it with an Avis employee. EVERY SINGLE BUDGET CITY MANAGER WAS DEMOTED DUE TO REORGANIZATION. They decided to combine the city manager position to oversee both Avis and Budget. Everyone had to reapply for their job, and not a single Budget city manager kept their job. They were all demoted to district manager somewhere else.

Talking about cleaning cars, I do that on a daily basis. Money is tight, we can't use any overtime they say, so that means I'm out until 4am cleaning cars, because they don't want to pay overtime.

A 60 hour week is minimum. I'm there at least 14 hours a day. During the summer peak season, we have to work 6 days a week. I come home, and I'm so tired I go to sleep. Wake up and it's back to work. I have absolutely no life in the summer outside of Budget. There have been many times when I've worked all night long. I've been the AM manager, in at 5AM...and the PM manager calls in sick. Well guess who gets stuck until midnight then? You got it, the AM manager. And not only that, but after staying until midnight, you're also expected to still be in the next morning at 5AM. The PM manager's shift is technically over at midnight. It is a very very good night if you're able to leave at midnight. When I worked nights, I rarely got out of there before 2am.

The bonus system has changed. We used to get a quartely bonus, I've heard of managers making upwards of $3000 a quarter on a bonus. But now Cendant has implemented a yearly bonus, based on QA scores, customer complaints, EMPLOYEE MORALE (try boosting employee morale, when you're the one that needs morale boosting!) and CSI. My yearly bonus for last year was $1200. And that was for the whole year. But it's better than the year before, I only got $500. We get no information during the year on how we're doing, or what we need to improve on. It's now May, and I still haven't seen my 2004 employee review.

These stories that I've read on here sound like an improvement from what I go through around here. I have to say I'm impressed with the career path they seem to have in place. I may regret it later, but I think I'm going to go for it.

[Jeahho]

I would highly recommend it for you. It will be a definite improvement over the situation you are in, and if you put in half as much effort as Enterprise as you are currently putting in at Budget they are going to absolutely love you. Good luck.

I agree with JeahHo that Erac will be an improvement from where you are now, but that doesn't mean that you will enjoy erac. You'd simply be going from one crusty toilet to another. There have been people on this site and I've seen some myself that came to Erac from a job that sucked a little more. At first it was a walk in the park, but they still remain jaded and frustrated because they have to deal with the same shit, just not as bad. Just because it's not AS bad, doesn't mean that it's not bad. I would try and get out of rental altogether. Cause it sounds that if you go to Erac after awhile you'll still hate your job, just maybe a LITTLE less. As for Erac loving you for putting the same effort in...JeahHo's experience sure is not the norm at Erac..it is the exception. Don't count on that undying love. They will expect you to do give and give and they are not what you call appreciative.

[Loyalforwhat]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I'm a current Budget Rent A Car employee, who is thinking about going for the mt program at Enterprise. All of these stories seem like a huge improvement from what I go through around here at Budget. And it's more money!

ERAC would definitely be an improvement. It is definitely a better company w/ much more room for advancement. I would go for it , if I were you. Do not let these horror stories affect your decision. Make your own opinion from your own experience w/ ERAC. I am an ex-ERAC employee & LOVED the company. I worked there for 8 years & could not say anything bad about the company itself. Now, there are people w/in the company that have made people (including myself) dislike their job at times. Your time at ERAC is what you make it......some can make it hard on you but there are ways around that. (Even if it means going to another dept. in the company or even another Group.) Good luck!!

Oh! I Remember Those Nights For A Rez For A Lcar And All I Had On The Lot Were Rangers! I Liked Rangers And I Think Sandy Miller Had The Right Ideas But Just Bad Mgrs.alot Of Mgrs From Avis Went To Budget When It Was Hot. To The Avis Guys Its Probably Payback Time.

Saying working at Enterprise is better than Budget is like saying a Chevy Aveo is better than a Metro. The statement is correct but you are basically comparing crap with crap.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Saying working at Enterprise is better than Budget is like saying a Chevy Aveo is better than a Metro. The statement is correct but you are basically comparing crap with crap.

This might be the most profound statement ever!

Im a management trainee and I have been there for about 6 months and though I am leaving to follow another career I will say that this was the best job I ever had. Great people, great chances of promotion very quickly and what you learn can be taken anywhere. This website is absurd and there are always people bitching, but trust me, it is a great opportunity and I would take it in a second.